


Good Taste

by InterstellarBlue (nagi_schwarz)



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27281167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/InterstellarBlue
Summary: Jinwoo and his teammates are out on a Pokemon Go hunt and find some actual Pokemon. Sort of.
Relationships: Park Jinwoo | Jin Jin/Park Minhyuk | Rocky
Comments: 8
Kudos: 38





	Good Taste

**Author's Note:**

  * For [popkin16](https://archiveofourown.org/users/popkin16/gifts).



> In a recent Vlive Jinjin and Rocky mentioned they used to go Pokemon hunting sometimes, and Rocky was in his high school knitting club, and for a while there people were making and leaving amigurumi Pokemon at Gyms and Stops for people to find, so this happened.

“You have two hours,” Manager said, as the van rolled to a stop beside a little suburban park. “Be right back at this spot in two hours, all right?”

“Yes, hyungnim,” Jinwoo and the others chorused obediently, but he was just as excited as the others to get out and explore.

Bin popped open the van door, and the five of them tumbled onto the pavement.

“Hyung, stay with me,” Sanha said, hooking his arm through Myungjun’s and heading for the crosswalk. “I’m pretty sure I saw a PokéGym over near this building. Come on!”

Myungjun let himself be towed along, cellphone in hand.

“Two hours!” Manager shouted after them.

Dongmin didn’t actually care for Pokémon Go, so he headed over to a wooden bench beneath a lamp post and settled in with the book he’d been trying to read since that morning.

“Do you want to stick with me?” Jinwoo asked Bin.

Bin shook his head and flipped up his hood. He already had the app open and was fiddling with his avatar’s outfit. For being a real life fashion terrorist — Dongmin’s words, not Jinwoo’s — Bin was very picky about his avatar’s clothing in the game. “I’m fine on my own. Good luck, hyung. If you find a Shining Sandshrew, promise you’ll trade it to me and not Myungjun, all right?”

“All right,” Jinwoo said. “And keep an eye out for a plush Pokémon. You might be able to find real ones at some Gyms or Stops.”

Bin nodded and ambled away, his long legs carrying him quickly.

Jinwoo had opened up Pokémon Go on his phone and was already checking the map for likely places to catch Pokémon and also see about doing battle and maybe a raid or two. Two hours was good time to explore. If he set out away from the meeting point for about forty-five minutes, he’d have plenty of time to get back. 

For the current promotions, Jinwoo had green hair, so he had a cap on to cover it. Astro wasn’t an especially popular group, but with Dongmin’s leading role in a popular drama this year — a drama that was currently airing — chances of them being recognized were higher, so he had to be cautious. The team wasn’t doing an official comeback, but Jinwoo still had an aesthetic he had to abide by.

But not now, not for these two blessedly, blissfully free hours. He could hunt Pokémon like a normal university student and earn some XP and send gifts to his Pokémon Go friends and enjoy this little neighborhood. When they’d come to this area for a broadcast show early in the day, he had seen a few PokéStops that had interesting names. Jinwoo liked seeing where gifts came from. He had managed to make friends from all kinds of places all over the world, and he received gifts from fascinating places, and even though Pokémon Go was just a game, he wanted to send his virtual friends interesting gifts as well.

And he’d also seen online about how some women, in an effort to encourage their children to get out and go on Pokémon hunts in the real world, had been knitting and crocheting Pokémon plushies and leaving them at PokéStops and Gyms for people to find, and even though Jinwoo was more than capable of winning a cute Pokémon plush from a claw machine, the thought of finding a handmade one during a Pokémon hunt while he was exploring a strange neighborhood was strangely thrilling.

Jinwoo paused and caught several Pokémon types that he already had just for the experience, transferred them to the Professor for candy. He lit some incense to attract more Pokémon in hopes of finding and catching a Shining Sandshrew that Bin wanted, and then he headed down the street toward the tall old building with the brick façade they’d passed on the way to the broadcasting station when they’d arrived that morning. The dojang or something near it was marked as a PokéStop, and Jinwoo was curious about it. When he drew near, he saw that the outside of the building had a bronze plaque that was greening around the edges and told of how the dojang had once been home to some of South Korea’s greatest taekwondo competitors who’d trained hard and sacrificed much and gone on to represent the country in international competitions.

Jinwoo read, curious, because he’d worked hard and trained hard to become an idol, and he respected the hard work and passion other people put into their pursuits. He spun the PokéStop, and then he noticed there was a Gym around the corner, one that had a raid starting soon, so he headed toward it, poking at his phone all the while. He made sure his most powerful Pokémon were at full health and that he had a raid pass. Even if the incense burned out while he was battling, the raid would be worth it for the experience. He could catch a few more Pokémon while he waited for the raid to start, or even battle the Gym and conquer it for his team and leave a Pokémon there to defend it for experience and gold. He had never been much for spending money on a game that was otherwise free, but he was often on the lookout for ways to earn money in-game.

Jinwoo paused to admire the architecture of the old dojang, and the swaying green boughs overhead. Pre-recording for the broadcast had started before the sun rose, and live recording had ended around sunset, but the evening was pretty now, and the weather was fine, and Jinwoo was pleased that they had time to enjoy it before they returned to the dorm. 

Then Jinwoo rounded the corner — and saw a boy with a handmade Pikachu plush in his hand. There was another handmade plush, a Torchic, on the ground beside a tall bronze sculpture that must have been the focal point of the Gym. The boy had a large gym bag that was partially unzipped.

He froze when he saw Jinwoo — and then shoved the plush into his bag and backed away hastily.

“What are you doing?” Jinwoo asked.

“It’s not what it looks like,” the boy said quickly, eyes wide. He had pretty eyes - bright and intense but also endlessly dark. 

He wasn’t holding a phone or otherwise playing Pokémon Go.

Jinwoo raised his eyebrows. “Are you  _ stealing _ the plush toys?”

Indignation stole over the boy’s features. He had high cheekbones and soft, full lips, smooth golden skin. He looked to be about Jinwoo’s age — or maybe older, come to think of it.

He was wearing skinny jeans and a t-shirt and a letter jacket for the dojang around the corner. His name was Park Minhyuk, and he was on the dojang demonstration team.

“Me? What? No,” Minhyuk said. “Listen, when my little brother gets here, you didn’t see me hanging out here for very long. In fact, you didn’t see me here at all. I’m going to leave, and —”

“Why should I lie for you?” Jinwoo asked.

Minhyuk reached into his gym bag and drew out another plush toy, a handmade Teddiursa. He held it out to Jinwoo. “You can have this if you promise not to say anything about me being here.”

And then Jinwoo noticed something else sticking out of Minhyuk’s gym bag — a pair of knitting needles speared through a ball of yarn, and a half-finished knitting project hanging off of them.

_ “You _ made these?” Jinwoo asked.

Minhyuk nodded and lifted his chin defiantly. “So what if I did? Boys can knit.”

“I was just surprised is all,” Jinwoo said. “I’d read on the Internet about mothers knitting toys to encourage their children to go outside. Not about —”

“I was late to club sign-ups my first year of high school and knitting club was all that was left but it ended up being fun.” Minhyuk pressed the stuffed Teddiursa into Jinwoo’s hands. “When Minseok shows up, you didn’t see me here, okay? He knows I knit, but he thinks I can only make simple things like scarves and hats. He’s been desperate to find a stuffed Pokémon on a hunt for weeks and he’s been running himself ragged, and our mother doesn’t like it when he hunts very far from home, so. I compromised.”

“Okay,” Jinwoo said. “I won’t say anything. You don’t have to bribe me, though.”

But Minhyuk had already set several more plushies on the ground beside the Torchic — a Hoppip, a Bulbasaur, two Pikachus, a Sandshrew, and another Teddiursa — and then zipped his gym bag shut. “Thank you, hyungnim.” He bowed and then turned and darted away.

Jinwoo swore he could see cartoon speed trails behind the boy.

A moment later, another boy rounded the corner, this one wearing a middle school uniform with a name plate that read Park Minseok. He was prodding at his phone, muttering to himself with an intensity Jinwoo knew all too well.

He lifted his head, and then his entire face lit up. “Hyung! I found some! I finally found some!” And he darted toward the sculpture. 

Minhyuk trailed behind Minseok and somehow looked neither out of breath nor like he’d been running or up to anything devious, possibly because it was quite dim in the little parking lot behind the dojang. “Hey, you got really lucky. I knew tonight would be your night.”

Minseok, who had similar cheekbones and eyes to his older brother, cast Jinwoo a wary look and then crouched down, used his phone flashlight to inspect the plushies. “Which one should I pick?”

“Whichever one you think is cutest,” Minhyuk said. He stood beside his brother and looked terribly fond.

Jinwoo checked the raid clock on the Gym, then continued battling to conquer it. He glanced at Minhyuk, who met his gaze briefly before looking away.

“They’re all my favorite ones,” Minseok said. “How do I choose?”

“You should only take one, to be fair to other people,” Minhyuk said gently.

Minseok hummed thoughtfully, then set about murmuring a complicated choosing rhyme. After several iterations and eliminations, he settled on the second Teddiursa and scooped it up, cradling it gently.

“You should take one,” Minseok said to Minhyuk.

“No, I don’t even play Pokémon Go. Someone who plays would enjoy them more.” Minhyuk reached out and ruffled Minseok’s hair.

“You’re allowed to play video games sometimes, you know,” Minseok said. “I can teach you.”

“You play for me,” Minhyuk said. “When competition season is over, I promise I’ll go on a hunt with you sometime, all right? But right now I need to focus on my next tournament.”

Minseok turned to Jinwoo and said, “My hyung is going to get a gold medal at the Olympics one day.”

“Oh?” Jinwoo asked.

“In taekwondo,” Minseok said. “He’s already the best in our district and one day he’ll be the best in the country.”

Even in the dim light coming off the lamp posts at the edge of the parking lot, Jinwoo could tell Minhyuk was blushing.

“Yah, no talking to strangers,” Minhyuk said. He inclined his head politely. “I’m sorry my brother bothered you.” To Minseok he said, “Come on, we should get home. Mom and Dad will be waiting.”

Jinwoo said, “Good luck at your next taekwondo tournament.”

Minhyuk inclined his head politely. “Thank you.” He slung an arm around his brother’s shoulders and started dragging him away from the Gym. As he passed Jinwoo, he added, “Good luck with your next comeback.”

Jinwoo started, surprised that he’d been recognized. 

Minseok ducked out from under Minhyuk’s arm and turned and smiled brightly at Jinwoo, and he had a bright smile. “Hyungnim, want to be Pokémon Go friends? I need to make a new friend as one of my field research missions.”

Minhyuk’s eyes went wide, and he went to clap a hand over his brother’s mouth, but Minseok just dodged.

Jinwoo said, “Sure. What’s your trainer code?”

Minseok held out his phone. “Here’s the QR code.”

“Yah! What did I  _ just _ say about talking to strangers?” Minhyuk demanded.

“But hyung, it’s just for Pokémon Go,” Minseok protested. “It’s not like we’ll ever see each other again, and I’ve told you before, there’s no messaging system in the game.”

Jinwoo said, “You should listen to your hyung. It’s difficult for me when my dongsaengs don’t listen to me.”

As if on cue, Sanha said, “Oooh! Real Pokémon!” He darted toward the sculpture and immediately pounced on the Pikachu. “It’s so cute! And it’s handmade! I’ve read about these on the Internet. We’re so lucky to find some.”

Myungjun considered before he chose the Bulbasaur.

Minhyuk was wide-eyed. Minseok looked delighted. So Jinwoo wasn’t the only one they’d recognized. 

“Should we get one for Bin-hyung?” Sanha asked.

“If he wants one, he should come get one himself,” Myungjun said.

“He’d probably want the Sandshrew,” Jinwoo said. “I’ll text him.”

Sanha turned to Minseok. “Hey, want to be Pokémon Go friends? It’s one of my field missions, to make new friends, and I don’t get to make new friends often.”

Minseok looked up at Minhyuk, who looked a little overwhelmed. But then Minhyuk nodded, resigned, and Minseok held out his phone and smiled winsomely. 

“Here’s my trainer QR code.”

While Bin and Myungjun and Sanha crowded around Minseok, who confidently told them about his middle school and how he was a champion soccer player while they exchanged trainer codes, Jinwoo said to Minhyuk,

“You have my sympathies. He seems like a handful.”

“I have just the one. You have four, even if Myungjun-ssi is older than you,” Minhyuk said.

“So you really do recognize me,” Jinwoo said.

Minhyuk ducked his head, an adorable blush staining his cheeks. “Ah — yes.”

And then Jinwoo noticed the band’s logo on a pin on the strap of Minhyuk’s gym bag. “You weren’t shy before.”

“I was in a bit of a desperate situation and a hurry,” Minhyuk said.

“You did a very kind thing for your brother.”

“I’ll do anything for him,” Minhyuk said. “And you do just about anything for your brothers. Although you seem to be missing one…?”

Jinwoo felt his heart sink a little, though he didn’t know why. “Ah, Eunwoo is your bias?”

“No, he’s not,” Minhyuk said quickly. “It’s just that on the schedule on the fancafe it said all six of you would be on the show tonight?”

If Minhyuk had access to the fancafe he was more than a casual fan. 

“It’s okay if he’s your favorite,” Jinwoo said. 

“He’s really not.” Minhyuk reached into his pocket and drew out his phone, turned it around and showed Jinwoo the photocard tucked into the back of the clear case. 

Which was of Jinwoo, from the most recent album. 

Jinwoo couldn’t help but preen a little, pleased. “So I’m your favorite?”

Minhyuk’s eyes went wide, and he shoved his phone back into his pocket, blushing. “Ah, yes. I like rappers.”

Jinwoo had hoped, irrationally, that Minhyuk would say,  _ I like boys.  _ But there were a few straight boys who liked idols, as evidenced by Jinwoo’s teammates who’d admired idols enough to train to become idols themselves. 

Minhyuk was handsome, totally Jinwoo’s type. 

Jinwoo said, carefully, “Not a lot of boys would keep a male idol’s photocard in their phone case.”

Minhyuk shrugged. “Not a lot of boys knit, either. And besides, you heard my brother. I can take care of myself. And I’m not an idol, so I can be open about who I am.” He cast Jinwoo a look.

Hope unfurled in Jinwoo’s chest. “Being open isn’t so easy for idols. But — we are past our dating ban now.”

Minhyuk’s eyes went wide. 

Jinwoo unlocked his phone and opened up the address book and held his phone out. “If you wanted to go on a date...?”

“Seriously?”

“I know you wouldn’t be able to be open about dating, and that’s not really fair for you, but —”

Minhyuk accepted Jinwoo’s phone and typed in his contact information, his eyes still very wide. 

“I’m not like this with most fans, I swear,” Jinwoo said. “Granted, most fans are girls, so.”

Minhyuk nodded and handed the phone back. “Won’t it be odd, to date a fan?”

Jinwoo said, “You aren’t most fans, though, are you? And not just because you’re not a girl.” He tucked his phone away. “You probably know a lot about me. It’s only fair that I learn a lot about you.”

“I’m sure I don’t know about the real you, and it’s only fair that we get to know each other properly,” Minhyuk replied, and Jinwoo smiled. 

“It’ll be a date.” He hugged the little stuffed Teddiursa. “This is so cute. I love it.”

Minhyuk’s eyes went wide, and he pressed a finger to his lips. 

Jinwoo winced, but before he could apologize, Minseok tugged on Minhyuk’s arm. 

“Hyung, let’s go! I’m hungry, and Mom said she was making army stew tonight.”

Minhyuk nodded. “All right.”

Minseok grinned at Jinwoo and cuddled his own Teddiursa. “He’s the cutest, right? You have good taste.”

Jinwoo cast Minhyuk a significant look before he said, “Thank you. I do think I have good taste.”

Minhyuk inclined his head politely and said, “It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“You too,” Jinwoo said.

To Jinwoo’s teammates, Minhyuk said, “Thank you for being kind to my brother.”

Myungjun and Bin cast Jinwoo pointed looks; his interaction with Minhyuk hadn’t gone totally unnoticed, then.

“We’re always glad to meet fellow Pokémon Go players,” Bin said.

Minseok waved and said, “Enjoy the plushies!” He cradled his Teddiursa to his chest, and then he ambled away, chattering happily to Minhyuk.

Jinwoo watched them go.

“You’d better tell Manager,” Myungjun said as soon as the two brothers were out of earshot.

“I will.”

“We are really lucky, though, to actually find some of these,” Bin said, smiling at his Sandshrew plushie. “How long do you think it takes to make one of these?”

“Depends on how experienced you are at knitting, probably,” Myungjun said.

Sanha petted his Pikachu happily. “Whoever made these must be pretty experienced, right? They look so good.”

“They were made with love,” Jinwoo said.

Sanha cast him a strange look, but Myungjun just laughed and swatted Jinwoo on the shoulder.

“Wow, you’re crushing really hard.”

“Crushing?” Sanha asked.

“We’ll tell you later,” Bin said. “We still have an hour of hunting left! Come on.”

That night, back at the dorm, Jinwoo curled up on his bunk with his hand-knitted Teddiursa plush and took a selca, and then he sent it to Minhyuk with a message.

_ He’s so cute, just like you. I’ll cuddle him and have sweet dreams. _

Then he set his phone on the charger and closed his eyes before he could hover over his phone and wait for a reply.

But his phone buzzed moments later.

Minhyuk had sent a selca in return, of himself sitting on his own bed, a half-finished knitting project on his lap.  _ I’ll have sweet dreams too after a message from you. Good night. _

Jinwoo set his phone down and curled up with the Teddiursa and closed his eyes and couldn’t help but smile. He was pretty sure this was the start of something wonderful.


End file.
